With a little preparation and the guidance of a professional real estate agent, you can help make the sale of your home go much more smoothly. Key factors include setting the proper price, effective marketing, and making your home sparkle inside and out.

Inspect Your House

Summary Points

Inspect your home and make any necessary repairs or renovations

Find an agent to represent you

Tidy the exterior and give your home curb appeal

Thoroughly clean the interior and get rid of unneeded items

Before putting your house on the market, a seller's inspection is highly recommended. The inspection can help identify previously unknown problems, as well as give you time to make any necessary repairs or renovations. Likewise, many states require sellers to disclose known problems with their house. Consider hiring a professional home inspector, as they can often identify problems that are easily overlooked by a novice. Important things to look for include leaks, evidence of wood rot and wood-destroying pests, structural integrity and a thorough assessment of major systems such as the plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems.

Find the Right Agent

The right agent can help you set an appropriate price, advertise and show the house to buyers, handle negotiations, draw up offers and coordinate the closing. In short, they can help you sell your home in less time, with less aggravation, and for more money. To find the right agent, you can start by asking family or friends for a recommendation, or try using the "Find an Agent" feature of this website. Agents who advertise in Homes & Land magazine are top professionals, and can help give your home prime exposure. Next, contact the agent and set up a meeting for a listing presentation. This is gives you an opportunity to hear the agent's plans for selling your property, as well as learn other important factors such as:

Information about the current market and comparable sales

Plans for marketing the house, including advertising and open houses

How long the agent has worked in the community, former clients, etc.

How much money you'll net based on different selling prices.

Give Your Home "Curb Appeal"

Even if your home is in good shape, there are probably a few things you can do to make it really sparkle. This is what's known as "curb appeal," and experts agree that making a good first impression is a crucial factor in attracting buyers. Improving your home's curb appeal can be as easy as tidying up the yard, washing windows, touching up exterior paint or even adding a new bed of flowers.

Cleanliness and Clutter

Houses look a lot smaller if they're crammed full of belongings-and you can't just hide it in the garage either. Buyers like to imagine storage spaces full of their belongings, not yours. Get rid of clutter, and give the house a top-to-bottom cleaning. In particular, make sure the kitchens and bathrooms are immaculate. Buyers will notice right away if these rooms aren't spotless. If you want to go the extra mile, you might even consider "staging" your house for showings. This can be as simple as adding houseplants and some decorative lamps, all the way to hiring an interior designer to bring in elaborate rugs, antique furniture and expensive artworks.